New Riders QB Zach Collaros: ‘It’s a tremendous opportunity for me’

Quarterback Zach Collaros has been traded from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to the Sakatchewan Roughriders for the 10th overall pick in the 2018 CFL Draft. We spoke to Collaros from Mexico where he is on vacation.

Drew Edwards: What was your first reaction to the trade?

Zach Collaros: “I’m very excited. The first thing you think about in Saskatchewan is their fan base. They really love the Riders and I’m looking forward to playing in front of those fans. I’m leaving a great fan base but I don’t think there’s a better place for me to go to.”

DE: Are you disappointed on how things worked out in Hamilton?

ZC: “When I signed the contract extension, that’s where I wanted to be – it was the place where I wanted to finish my career. The last year, things didn’t work out the way anyone wanted them to. Things happen for a reason and have a way of working themselves out. Am I disappointed in how it ended? Obviously, I’m not going to win a Grey Cup in Hamilton.

“But the relationships I’ve made in that building and with those teammates, people who work behind scenes, I’ll always cherish those.”

DE: But you’re happy about the trade.

ZC: “It’s change, it’s a new opportunity. I don’t think I could be going to a better place from a fan standpoint, from an organizational standpoint, with the players they have. It’s a tremendous opportunity for me.”

DE: Are you excited about being re-united with Peter Dyakowski?

ZC: “I am. It was the first thing I thought of. I’ve missed those educational sessions in the locker room. Not being able to learn about various obscure elements of world history was tough.”

Zach is a winner on every level. He won back to back state high school football championships when he played,should have been starting QB For the cincinnatti bearcats in college but coach kelly screwed that up and was never given a chance to play in the Nfl! He is a class act and he represents mine and his hometown (steubenville ohio) very well and he comes from a great family!

Green, Zach NEVER said “great fans or great organization” he said he couldn’t be going to a better place from a fan & organization ” stand point” interpretation it’s the only option on the plate. In fact when asked if he was happy he said “it’s change it’s a new opportunity” doesn’t sound very positive to me.

Huge mistake. I understand that the benefits we will receive via the salary cap and a quality 1st Round pick, but Zac brought a lot to the team, in the locker room and off the field and I am sad to se him exit the team. I truly hope that Hamilton does not sign John Manziel (please, let’s drop the Johnny Football thing. We’re not in High School anymore). The guy is a cancer.

I didn’t realize that we weren’t allowed to have an opinion on this blog. There are so many talented kids out there who don’t come with a fraction of the baggage Manziel brings. He has shown zero ability to handle himself as a professional athlete while Collaros, other than last year, has been great for the CFL. His experience alone will make Saskatchewan a better team. I just have a low tolerance for jackasses like Manziel who have every opportunity to succeed and then piss it all away.

Sounds to me like he’s willing to accept the inevitable and is pleased that he’s going to a market with a great fan base but really isn’t happy about leaving Hamilton. Really sorry to see him leave too.

with the class act, he will fit in nicely with the riders. They are canada’s team and if you listen to lots of past players they say every player needs the experience of playing in sask, the best place to be a football player.

Every team needs two good QBs these days. I think Bridge will be given every opportunity to win the starting job, but I’m sure that when he signed his one year deal with us he knew that we’d be bringing in someone else as well. I’m very happy with our depth now, and it’s up to the two of them in training camp to see who will be the starter.

Otoh, there were probably teams sitting back and waiting for him to be released. But the Riders were proactive and made the deal. This also gives us an extra draw with our own and other FAs. Collaros is a veteran, top tier, QB, and that was the one big piece missing from our team last year.

I like the trade as Collaros is not the same QB since his injury! My big concern TiCats do not have a proven winn8ng QB. Regular season doesn’t count the playoffs do! Just look at the Stampeders! Masoli hasn’t proved he can win big games, and Manziel hasn’t proven he can win period. However JJ clearly didn’t like Collaros and loves Manziel so this was inevitable. A huge gamble for JJ, KA, ET, and of course their lousy President and awesome Caretaker! It will be interest8ng how the fans react! Let’s hope for some huge luck. If not a whole sale change at the top for 2019!

As I recall, he didn’t get much playing time in 2015 and did enough to beat the Argos in the ESF then came a dropped Gascon-Nadon interception from beating the RedBlacks. That’s in Austin’s “run rarely or better yet, not at all” offense.

He does need to be more aware of game situations and improve accuracy.

wow…Jones has the riders loaded up with a host of marginal QB’s at this point. Probably more to come. Now I feel compassion for Bridge. However, all should play for starting role at training camp….Good Luck

Still better than some teams . Stamps have a qb that won’t be ready for the regular season and no backup. Montreal has no qb and now Hamilton is after this trade is shy on QB’s . Should be an interesting training camp

A host of marginal Calgary qb’s? What does Calgary have then? 1 qb who chokes and is injured and…. that’s it. He played 2/3 of a season injured because they have NOBODY else and had approximately ZERO chance of winning without him. Good luck with that.

The Riders will have plenty of good competition at the qb position now,and my feeling is they re not done yet.
The eastern final shows how close the Riders are to being the team they want to be.So personally I’m feeling good about the future of the Riders.

this also means the all mighty stamps (regular season team only), is falling behind. They have a starting QB who doesnt know how to win when it counts and basically no back up QB. They have ole carrot top as the back up but he has proven to be a dud in the games he started last year or played in. The rest of the west is movin on up while the stamps are movin on down, plus the stamps have no fan base. Maybe moving them to the east coast is the solution. And oh ya, they have a dump for a stadium too. teeeeeheeee.

Super classy guy and represents his team and the league well. I have a feeling he’s got some great days ahead. Having said that… it’s a risk for Sask… the coaches in Hamilton did their level best to get him back in the groove and he just couldn’t do it.

Their level best in an offense that just barely prefers a minimal run game to no run game at all.

Or made adjustments for how few receivers the QBs had played with before.

Or built plays to leverage what players excelled at.

Definitely a risk but an offense that requires all players to be at their best while ignoring injuries/rookies as well as ways to confuse the opposing defense makes it unclear what is and is not possible.

I think there were bigger problems than Collaros to blame for their early season struggles. Every player comes with risks, of course, and that’s why great depth is so important. I can understand why he’s happy. He’s coming to a team with arguably the best receiving corps in the league, and when healthy a pretty good OL, but that should be the next area for Jones to concentrate on. We have to get Campbell locked up, and lock in Labatte at C, and then sort out our OG situation. Bladek, Dyakowski, and JSJ are in the mix there.

I don’t imagine Collaros will like the restructured contract that will be given to him, but after last year he will need to build his value up again to elite status before he returns to the salary he is used to.

I wish Zach all the best. Here’s where you hope that the Ticat coaching staff and talent evaluation guys have got this one right i.e. Zach no longer has “it” due to injury or whatever. Because if Zach still has it — its a mistake. The writing has been on the wall since Jones named Masoli the starter and stuck with him through the end.
What we have now is inferior to the Zach we saw a couple of years ago. And we don’t even get Sask second stringer in the deal? Well we got something….but….not even a starter or their second qB? disappointing. As for Johnny Football — I have rather low expectations….and could care less. Its a show me league…..

For the life of me having seen Austin switch QBs even in the same series in other years and not batting an eye about it it astounded me that with the Ticats and Zach C struggling that Austin wouldn’t give Collaros even a breather where he could spend some time on the sidelines in games and see the game from another perspective AND also let Masoli run the ball!!!

It was like Austin had a death wish and was going to take Zach with him.

I think the biggest loss is that Zach truly loved being in Hamilton itself. He will make the best of his new situation, but he was a great fit in Hamilton. He just wants to play, truly loves playing the game.

Zach’s personality fit so well with Hamilton and I think the fans really love and respect that. I expect him to get a nice round of applause when he plays at THF. That says something because this town can be notoriously hard on QB’s that aren’t playing well. I think we face Jason Mass psychological bruises that ended his playing career! We will miss you Zach!!!